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Veritas R8 Communicator pins


DanEdge

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Hi,

 

I’ve got a Veritas R8 Panel that I have tapped in to a couple of the communicator outputs to identify through a home automation system whether the panel is armed or whether the alarm has been triggered. 

 

Is there a way I can identify if the panel has been  part set vs full set through any of the communicator outputs ?

 

 

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It’s the R8+ I have

 

Sadly the engineer code isn’t known and it’s been changed from the default. I’m reluctant to reset the panel in case the engineer code has been locked.. but I’ve been able to use the communicator outputs for the basics of what I need... 

 

What does the line monitor output provide ?

Edited by DanEdge
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No. They do not support programmable outputs you get what you get. Which doesn't include any part set. It's just a basic domestic panel not designed for this type of interfacing.

Really it would be best swapped for a Premier 24.

 

The only messy workaround I can suggest would require to use some external logic and possibly engineers access.

You would have to remove the strobe wire and trigger it with the bell trigger. Then switch on the option for Strobe on Full Set (it s on as default).

You can now use the Armed plus the Strobe outputs into your own logic to tell if the system has been full or part armed.

if [Armed && Strobe Pulse] == Full

else if [Armed] == Part

I doubt it's worth the messing TBH.

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  • 2 years later...
5 hours ago, sixwheeledbeast said:

It's been a while... I was pretty clear with my instructions and the logic table in the post, how you utilise it will depend on what your connecting it to.

It's probably simpler to just put a more capable panel in.

 

Apologies, I don’t know what happened with the quote, I seem to have ended up selecting the wrong part of your original response.

 

I have  the panel hooked up to my automation system and able to set/unset, capture status and when the alarm is activated but this is the one thing that i’d like another shot at getting working before i swap out the panel.

 

“You would have to remove the strobe wire and trigger it with the bell trigger”.  It’s specifically this that Im not sure about, when you say to trigger it with bell trigger, what do you mean and why trigger it with the bell? so that it turns on with the siren too? What does disconnecting the strobe wire do? Does it just result in the strobe not being automatically activated when the alarm is set (unless its configured to strobe on full set)?

 

Thanks again for your help

 

D

 

 

2C86AD86-5757-4DD2-9921-2BDD227B978A.jpeg

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That strobe terminal will pulse low if the system is full armed, whereas it will not if part armed.

I was suggesting to move any external bell wiring from that terminal to the bell trigger instead, so not to interfere with whatever you poke in there to try to interface with it.

This will mean the external strobe would only trigger when the bell is ringing, you wouldn't get a strobe flash on set if you do now.

It may work with both in there but I would generally want to isolate things like that to avoid issues.

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@james.wilson This is what I’m planning to use this for, we use the part set at night just to arm the ground floor - so being able to distinguish between the full set and part set enables me to tie automation in to the house being vacant and to only the upstairs being occupied (eg turn everything off on the ground floor vs turn the whole house off).

 

Ive configured push notifications for armed state and alarm activation but also additional capability such as when the alarm is triggered all lights turn on inside and outside the house and I get a notification with stills from all my cameras. There’s a lot of possibilities here.

 

I’m interfacing via a Konnected Interface device (konnected.io) to Hubitat (HA controller). This also enables me to use all my wired PIR sensors and door sensors fitted for the alarm as motion sensors directly (eg) for lighting automation.


cool stuff ? 


 

 

 

 

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You'd honestly save a lot of time and get more reliable interfacing from a better panel.

High end alarm panels can do a lot of automation and logic themselves, they can just lack slightly on easy user control.

 

The main thing I don't like with konnected things are they instruct you to piggy back on all the zone inputs for presence, so if something failed you could get false alarms it doesn't conform IMO.

It's designed to retrofit to old panels but it costs a lot considering a decent alarm panel can do a chunk of that functionality and output it somewhere clean, if you know what your doing.

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@sixwheeledbeast Just got to testing this out and it does seem to work. Thanks again for the creative work around! I will take a look at the Premier panel though - I’m going to need to add some additional zones anyway so will need to upgrade. But this serves the purpose for now.

 

@MrHappyThanks for the unsolicited financial advice - but all good there. Thanks

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36 minutes ago, DJEdge22 said:

@MrHappyThanks for the unsolicited financial advice - but all good there. Thanks

 

life's too short.... just buy the proper gear it work much nicer & a keypad & plaggy endstation is less than a hive thermostat

 

Mr? Veritas God

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I was toying with Hubitat for a while, but now ive gone down the home assistant route. Its hard work learning Yaml and understanding a new terminology. But there is a huge following, loads of online support. I already had my alarm system switching stuff on and off when I armed and part set, it also switches lights on when the alarm activates, and courtesy lights when we come and go.

 

Ive already set up esp bluetooth presence detection, my HA knows what room Im in at any one time assuming I have either my phone or my watch on and automations either run based on how long I am in that room or the time of day/light levels, and my daily routines.

 

My next house (Moving soon)  will have outputs that run inline with the motion detectors and door/window contacts, regardless of if my panel is armed the HA will know when someone has opened a door or walked into a room. If a rear door opens without seeing a motion in that room first it will trigger Alexa to announce a warning. My current alarm panel has the capability to provide hundreds of outputs, my next will be the same panel. 

 

In your shoes OP i would take the advise and get a panel that has enough outputs, you will have a never ending need of outputs, and one or two programmable inputs  

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